Various kinds of wireless modem devices are currently available for enabling a host computer to connect to a wireless network. The wireless modem devices are configured with various types of physical interfaces such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), PCMCIA, PCI, Firewire and the like, for connection to a complementary port provided on the host computer.
Generally, the host computer requires custom device drivers for operation of such wireless modem devices. Driver software serves to provide information that enables the host computer system to configure, control and/or operate the wireless modem device. Driver software has traditionally been distributed to users via accompanying memory devices such as floppy disks, CDs or DVDs shipped along with the electronic device, or via the Internet. A number of wireless modem devices are preconfigured to provide at least some information needed for their operation in combination with predetermined types of host computer systems in a memory included in the wireless modem device itself so that an accompanying memory device or an Internet connection is not required for their first time operation. The driver software provided with the device is typically installed on the host computer upon connection of the wireless modem device and is also typically retained therein after the initial installation. The driver software, however, needs to be installed on every new host computer that a wireless modem device may be connected to.
In one class of USB wireless modem devices, the wireless modem device operates in a mass storage device mode for installation of the modem specific device drivers, and then switches to a modem mode for operation after installation of the device drivers has been completed. The host computer is then able to communicate with the modem device over the USB using a combination of TCP/IP networking protocol and Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) standard.
Most types of host computer Operating System (OS) offer native support for TCP/IP Internet communication protocol drivers and USB drivers for communication using a USB physical interface. However, in some instances custom device drivers have to be installed for modem operation. The connection manager and the associated software required for installation of custom drivers on the host computer system are typically stored in the memory of the wireless modem. For such devices, the custom device drivers are typically Plug-n-Play (PnP) drivers that may require a relatively lengthy hardware discovery process. Furthermore, the process of switching from one mode to another may prove to be unreliable and/or somewhat time consuming during the normal use of the device.
In another class of wireless modem devices which are configured to be connected to a host computer's USB port, a Remote Network Driver Interface Specification (RNDIS) is used in combination with USB protocol for communication between the USB wireless modem device and the host computer. RNDIS is a Microsoft proprietary standardized specification for USB network devices and is often supported as a standard component of Windows operating systems. Typically, for the operation of peripheral devices with RNDIS, an RNDIS library is loaded on to the peripheral device. Upon connection to the host computer, the peripheral device exposes an RNDIS interface enabling communication using this standard. However, operation of peripheral devices with RNDIS also requires installation of custom device drivers for the peripheral devices.
Yet another class of USB wireless modem device known in the art sets up a modem host communication interface and uses a proprietary user mode protocol stack to send data through the modem host communication interface and thereby to and from the wireless network. A proxy application is used to route information from the host computer's TCP/IP to the proprietary protocol stack. The design and development of proprietary protocols for implementation in modem devices, however, can be a complicated task and furthermore user mode communication protocol stacks can be inferior to some OS vendor provided stacks in terms of flexibility, reliability and performance.
The prior art devices typically involve installation of device specific drivers and a lengthy hardware discovery process or the development of proprietary communication protocols and associated software which can be also be complicated and uneconomical. Therefore there is a need for a wireless modem device that overcomes at least one of the deficiencies in the art.
This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.